Sling type shoe



June 21, 1955 BECKERMAN SLING TYPE SHOE Original Filed June 14, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent SLING TYPE SHOE Louis Beckerman, Auburn, Maine, assignor tov M-.- Beckerman & Sons, Inc., Auburn, Maine, a corporation of Maine Original application. June 14, 1951, Serial No. 231,567,

now Patent No.- 2,606,374, dated August 12, 1952. Divided and this application May 27, 1952, Serial No. 290,300

2 Claims. (Cl. 36-16) This invention relates to shoes, more particularly to sling type shoes, methods of producing the same and a tuck construction therefor.

My invention concerns itself with the problem of making womens shoes, and particularly the sling. type shoe.

Known to me in the latter type of construction is the production of the shoe to include a tuck or shank reinforcing supporting assembly which is positioned between the outsole and the liner or insole, comprising a stiffener as a carrier, to which a metal shank reinforcement is applied, and which is edged by an edging, binding strip visible in the open heel as a layer between the insole or liner and the outsole. The production of such a tuck and its assembly in the shoe involves the costly operation of edging, as well as to lead to a cumbersome or awkward and heavy appearance in exposing the edging between the insole or liner and the outsole.

The finished edging likewise places a limitation on the perfection of alignment with the outsole and the matching of the color or the edging or binding with the finish of the heel and the upper. Likewise, the inflexibility of the tuck at peripheral edges limits or makes unnecessarily burdensome the shaping of the assembly of outsole, tuck or shank reinforcement, to securethe desired rigidity in the shank, while obtaining maximum uniformity and accuracy.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a womans shoe, particularly a flexible womans shoe and still more particularly, an open heel or sling type of shoe which is pleasing in appearance, simplifies manufacturing operations and effects substantial economies in production, characterized by the provision of a novel tuck and a method of assembling the same in a shoe, especially of the open heel or sling type construction involving the provision of a tuck and assembly thereof, having a feathered peripheral edge adjacent to and along the back of the heel, whereby in assembling the same with the outsole, the heel back may be consolidated with the outsole and in the assembly, the edge of the tuck is made to vanish or blend into the edge of the outsole, to conform readily thereto in the assembly operation, and where embodied in an open heel or sling type shoe, be united at its peripheral edge as part of the sewing of the upper to the outsole; and still more particularly, the provision of a tuck including a shouldered or slotted edge which serves as a guide for joining the contiguous edge of the upper adjacent the open heeled portion, leading to more accurate sewing operations and uniformity of appearance and fit of the resultant shoe.

My invention more particularly has for its object the provision of a novel tuck and a shoe embodying the same, leading to the production of a more aesthetic appearance, especially in the production of a flexible, sling type or open heel womans shoe.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which with my invention, looking from the lower face thereof;

Figure 2. is a perspective view of the same, with the shank reinforcement outlined thereon;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sole assembly and tuck embodying my invention;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the'line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sole assembly at the initial stage of attachment of the upper;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the assembled shoe before applying the liner;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 6, with the liner applied in position.

Summarizing my invention, it involves the provision of a novel tuck ,and method of making. flexible womens shoes, particularly the open heel or sling type shoe, wherein I provide a heel back to the tuck skived or beveled to a feather edge so that it, and particularly the shank reinforcement, may be integrated into the outsole,. to eliminate the clumsy and awkward appearance at. the back of the heel of the outsole,. especially where visible through the open heel portion of the shoe, and. where assembled with a flexible sole, conform the assembly to secure a high degree of support, and in the assembly of the shoe, providing a more secure integration of the shank piece or tuck and by forming slotted or shouldered sides, acting. as a guide in performing the stitching operation of the upper and securing uniformity of the shoe assembly.

7 Making reference to the drawing, I show a shank piece or tuck 10 made of material such as stiffened fibre board, vulcanized board, integrated with impregnating agents to provide stiffness and toughness. The shank ll thereof extends substantially unmodified toward the sole end '12 and is skivedin the usual manner at 13. The heel end 14 is peripherally skived orbeveled at15, toprovide a feather edge 16 along the sides and back of the heel. I prefer that thesides 17 and 18 of the shank portion mergeinto the thickened portion of the heel, with the beveled edge 15 forming shoulders 19 and 20, preferably-abrupt, such as sharply undercut at the corners 21. and 22, to provide anacute angle, that is which may be .or less than 90. With this constructionprovided, there is stapled or otherwise. aflixed the shank stiffener 23 which extends from the edge 13 to adjacent the heel portion 14', as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the procedure of attachment bowing the assembly of shank stiffener and shank piece or tuck into approximately the desired arch supporting contour.

The tuck assembly illustrated in Figure 2 is thereupon-used for attachment to the sole assembly shown in Figure 3 wherein an outsole 24 has superimposed thereon the insole 25. The outsole may be a composition soling material, such as rubber, and the insole may be a composition cork. Other materials will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. The partial insole 25 is adhesively attached to the outsole, to leave the ledge 26 over the outsole 24.

Aligned with the insole, the tuck is positioned to overlay the edge 13 over the insole and to conform the heel edge 16 to the heel edge of the outsole. In this position, the rows of stitches 28 and 29 are applied to unite the tuck 10 to the outsole 24. The shaping pressure during sewing conforms the edge 16 to the heel edge 27. The cutout or shoulders 19 and 20 provide a ledge 30 continuous with the ledge 26 of the vamp portion of the shoe. Staples 31 may be used further to intimately unite the tuck with the sole adjacent the heel portion 14 of the tuck, the stapling operation being accompanied by an application of an adhesive in the interface between the tuck 10 and the sole 24, to integrate the edges to the point where the feather edge is barely discernible.

With a sole assembly provided as shown in Figure 3, where an open toe sling type shoe is to be made, a patch 32 whose facing conforms to the upper is attached at the toe by the row of stitches 33 and the patch adhesively united to the insole Z3. Thereupon the upper may be stitched to the sole assembly. For this purpose the upper 34 is attached to provide an outturned upper by stitching For this purpose the sling edges 35, 36 are aligned with the shoulders 19 and 2-0 to abut the same, with the rows of stitches 37 and 38 for forming the out-turned stitching operation extending to overlap the shoulders 19 and 20, anchoring the edge 16 adjacent the shoulders 19 and 20 to the outsole as well as anchoring the out-turned edges 39 and 40 of the upper to the ledge portions of the sole, previously described. 2

With this step accomplished, the edge 27 of the sole may be trimmed, buited or otherwise treated with the tuck attached thereto, without any special care, and the sole and upper assembly may then be attached to the heel 41 by the nails 42 in the usual manner. Thereupon the liner 43 is overlaid, interposing preferably a heel cushion of foam rubber, felt or the like. The liner is formed with a shank portion 44, outlining shoulder portions 45 and 46, adjacent the heel portion 47. The heel portion is cut to conform to the heel assembly 27 and is accurately laid in the congruent position by abutting the shoulders 45 and 46 adjacent the edges 35 and 36, respectively, of the upper. The conforming relationship of the shoulders 19 and 20 of the tuck to the upper permits the liner to be cemented or otherwise attached in position in conforming relationship, covering unsightly gaps and providing a neat and highly pleasing appearance by reason of the flush relationship of the shoulders 19 and 20 and the edges 35 and 36 contiguous to the sole.

By reason of the provision of the tuck as described, and the method of assembly as described, a highly aesthetic shoe assembly, particularly of the sling type or open heel type, is provided, and substantial economies are effected in that the cost and expense of binding the tuck to conform to the finish of the heel or upper are avoided. The flexibility of the tuck adjacent the edge 15 permits a shaping of the assembly of stiffener 23 with the tuck 10 and sole 24, to the concave contour of the heel with great facility, to add strength at the shank of the shoe without sacrificing the desirable yieldable characteristics of the material chosen for making the sole.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 231,567, filed June 14, 1951, which has'matured into Patent No. 2,606,374, granted August 12, 1952, for Sling Type Shoe and Tuck Therefor.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A sling type shoe comprising an outer .sole, a shank piece overlying the outsole and comprising a heel end portion which is peripherally skived along the sides and back thereof, and a shank portion having a Width less than that of the underlying portion of the outsole to provide laterally disposed ledges and shoulders at the juncture of the heel end and shank portions, an upper comprising a vamp portion having the lateral edges thereof turned outwardly and received in said ledges with the rear endsof said vamp edges terminating at said shoulders, and a stitch line joining the turned out vamp edge portions to said outsole, said stitch line extending rearwardly of said shoulders to join the skived edge portions of the heel end portion of said shank piece to said outsole.

2. A shoe as in claim 1 and further including a liner member overlying said shank. piece, said liner having heel and shank portions with shoulders at the junctures thereof on either side of said shank piece, said shoulders being registered with the shoulders of said shank piece and abutting the rear ends of said vamp edges, the heel portion'of said liner concealing the ex-fl tended portions of said stitch lines.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,736 Shaw Feb. 13, 1872 1,056,372, Schwartz Mar. 18, 1913 1,913,173 Silvestri June 6, 1933. 2,031.645 Hadaway Feb. 25, 1936. 2,135,676 Roberts Nov. 8, 1938 2,135,849 Scacco Nov. 8, 1938 2,446,357 Vigorith Aug. 3, 1948 2,471,696 Milchen May 31, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 300,666 Italy Sept. 15, 1932 554,943 Germany July 8, 1932, 

